Hello,
I'm new here and have just recently been looking into different things about sleep apnea.  I had a sleep study done last night, and the results should come in soon.

Ugh, I guess I'll just start this off with why I'm worried/scared about this condition.  I wake up at night, or I'll say my brain wakes me up, in order for me to breath.  I am always worried to go to sleep, and my fear of not waking up to get air keeps me up.  I want to sleep, but the feeling of not being able to breath/the tight feeling in my throat is annoying and I think about it.  I give myself anxiety about it, and I just don't want to sleep.  Because I'm scared, ha as I've said prior.

It has gotten so bad, I've been keeping myself up all night, and sleeping during the day.  But even if I sleep long, I'm still really tired.  I've had to get homebound schooling due to his 'issue' right now.

I think a bit of my fear was reading some stories about dying O__O, as dying is a HUGE fear of mine, as I'm sure it is a fear to many.  But.............I'm trying to figure everything out.  And even with the support of my family, I just feel so scared.  I've cried.........a lot ha ha, not going to lie about that one.  Due to the stress, and not knowing what is wrong yet.  The fear of dying.......everything seems to be building up, and it is like I can't do a thing about it.  I don't want to stop breathing, and not wake up to get air................but I'm just so tired.  And the only time I sleep is when I'm so tired I just lay down and I'm out due to staying up so long.

I feel kinda' helpless with this, because it just started a month ago.  I want my normal life back, I don't want to have to worry about having a restless night because I keep waking up to get air.  I know lack of air to a persons brain can cause brain damage, but staying up isn't any good.  I'm just.......really confused now, because I want answers, and I don't have any yet.......

So anyone.....if you have anything to say, to I dunno' explain anything I can do, I'd be so willing to listen.  Because I'm tired, stressed, scared, worried, and about a billion other things ha ha.

I just want to have a positive outlook on this, or as best I can, and I don't want to be one of the 'bad stories' of sleep Apnea.....

Hi TiredTwirly and Welcome!!

As scary as it seems, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) rarely kills suddenly in your sleep.  Rather it kills by wrecking your cardiovascular system and causing high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes.  I'll list other effects of untreated OSA below.  You have some time, especially if you have only recently been having trouble.  Many of us have gone many months, or in my case, years before being diagnosed.

I had exactly the same response as you.  As dead tired as I was, I did not want to go to sleep and would try to stay awake, although I did not know why.  After I had used my CPAP for a few days I had the most bizarre feeling that it was safe to go to sleep.  I asked my sleep tech about it and he said that was very common.  Although I was unaware of my OSA, my body knew of my terrible stuggles each time I slept and so did not want me to sleep.  Now it is wonderful because I know I am safe.  In fact, I have been a treated OSA patient for 9 years, so I am aware of the effect of my CPAP on my body and when I turn it on, I can feel the air pressure open my airway.

The first thing you need to do is to get a sleep study to find out exactly what is going on.  You can find accredited sleep medicine Drs. by contacting the folks at www.absm.org  Until people are treated, many find they do best in a recliner.  At the very least, sleep on your side as OSA tends to be worse on their back.

Keep us posted on your progress!!

Vicki

The effects of untreated sleep apnea are severe and systemic.  Some of them are; increased blood pressure, increased risk of heart attack and stroke (from the constant cycling in and out of hypoxia and increased blood pressure), heart arrhythmias, nocturia (because the increased pressure in the right heart ventricle makes the body think there is too much blood volume so urine is produced), headaches (probably from the hypoxia), fatigue (duh), memory and concentration problems, weight gain (sleep deprivation causes weight gain for several physiological reasons, one being the alteration of the hormones leptin and ghrelin), apnea induced seizures, there is a link to diabetes, there is a link to GERD, night sweats, depression, anxiety (each apneic event is a true suffocation and elicits the "Fight or Flight" adrenalin response), Fibromyalgia-like symptoms, impotence, relationship and job issues, car accidents, etc.


_________________
Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.
Marilyn Von Savant

That which does not kill you makes you stronger-Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich must of had apnea.

I would not be wooried if I were you. Look on the bright side.  It is treatable.

When I was diagnosed I actually was glad.  It explained a lot of issues that I have been going through for a long time and I now have a treatment.   All those issues may not 100% go away, but they should get better over time.

Instead of getting worried, look on the bright side!!!  There always is one.

My doctor thinks I have had OSA for 10-15 years and I was just diagnosed.  Like Vicki said the issues it was causes is more of an issue than dying directly form OSA.  If you have some of those issues and OSA hopefully some of them can reduce in severity ince the OSA is treated (if you have it)

Scooter1836 wrote:

When I was diagnosed I actually was glad.  It explained a lot of issues that I have been going through for a long time and I now have a treatment.   All those issues may not 100% go away, but they should get better over time.

That's how I felt, too: glad. (After the initial shock and surprise.)

It's treatable!

And no more mystery about why the constant fatigue, inability to lose weight, daily headaches, brain fog, rising blood pressure, etc. etc. etc.

Knowing what's going on gives you great power to change your future. This is a wonderful thing.

Pam

Hang in there. Things will get better. As you said you have taken your first sleep study, which is the first step to improving your life. I am still new at this myself having just completed my first month on BiPap therapy. I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. I can tell by what you wrote that you care greatly about your health, which will help you to be vigilant with your CPAP equipment, if indeed the diagnosis is sleep apnea. I would highly suggest you read through this forum, as it will help guide you through all the questions you have and will have in the near future. I agree with Vicki in feeling safe once therapy begins. I felt strongly that way on the second night, even though it was quite a change in using the mask and machine. Until the results are back from your sleep study, you need to take care of yourself and get sleep. My wife had been telling me for years that I would stop breathing during the night. Keep us posted on how things are going for you.

TiredTwirly wrote:

Hello,
I'm new here and have just recently been looking into different things about sleep apnea.  I had a sleep study done last night, and the results should come in soon.

Ugh, I guess I'll just start this off with why I'm worried/scared about this condition.  I wake up at night, or I'll say my brain wakes me up, in order for me to breath.  I am always worried to go to sleep, and my fear of not waking up to get air keeps me up.  I want to sleep, but the feeling of not being able to breath/the tight feeling in my throat is annoying and I think about it.  I give myself anxiety about it, and I just don't want to sleep.  Because I'm scared, ha as I've said prior.

It has gotten so bad, I've been keeping myself up all night, and sleeping during the day.  But even if I sleep long, I'm still really tired.  I've had to get homebound schooling due to his 'issue' right now.

I think a bit of my fear was reading some stories about dying O__O, as dying is a HUGE fear of mine, as I'm sure it is a fear to many.  But.............I'm trying to figure everything out.  And even with the support of my family, I just feel so scared.  I've cried.........a lot ha ha, not going to lie about that one.  Due to the stress, and not knowing what is wrong yet.  The fear of dying.......everything seems to be building up, and it is like I can't do a thing about it.  I don't want to stop breathing, and not wake up to get air................but I'm just so tired.  And the only time I sleep is when I'm so tired I just lay down and I'm out due to staying up so long.

I feel kinda' helpless with this, because it just started a month ago.  I want my normal life back, I don't want to have to worry about having a restless night because I keep waking up to get air.  I know lack of air to a persons brain can cause brain damage, but staying up isn't any good.  I'm just.......really confused now, because I want answers, and I don't have any yet.......

So anyone.....if you have anything to say, to I dunno' explain anything I can do, I'd be so willing to listen.  Because I'm tired, stressed, scared, worried, and about a billion other things ha ha.

I just want to have a positive outlook on this, or as best I can, and I don't want to be one of the 'bad stories' of sleep Apnea.....

You've taken the first step to get back on track.  So you should think positively from here on out.  Once you get on your CPAP therapy you will be surprised and delighted at how quickly you will return to more normal sleep patterns.  Your sleep may not be perfect but it will be significantly better than what you are going through now.  The secret to success is to stick with adapting to your CPAP therapy.  In the beginning it's a little unusual trying to sleep with a mask on your face.  However, you will be surprised at how quickly you can adapt especially when you realize the rewards of finally getting some quality sleep.  

I've been on my CPAP therapy for almost 3 years and I will NEVER sleep without it.  I don't even take a nap without it because the quality of sleep is just so much better.  

You're gonna be fine.  Your health and outlook will improve.  

This forum is the best resource to help us all.  So stick with it.  Don't hestiate to reach out with questions.  There are a lot of very knowledgeable posters on this forum.

TiredTwirly, I can relate to how you feel. Back in the spring of '08 I was going through the same thing you are now. I was so depressed I was feeling suicidal. I had all the classic symptoms of OSA: extreme fatigue, feeling drowsy while driving, loud snoring, waking up tired, frequent trips to the bathroom throughout the night, etc. I thought my life was coming to an end.

I am 100% compliant in using my CPAP machine. Even when I take a short nap I use it. I cannot sleep comfortably without it. I am an "advocate" and an "evangelist" for CPAP use (or BiPAP) . It is a life line.

My 89 year old aunt, who lives in Florida,  was recently diagnosed and refuses to use the machine. I told her: "Auntie, if you were on the Titanic when the ship went down and you find yourself freezing in the icy waters of the North Atlantic and a lifeboat comes along side of you with warm dry blankets, hot coffee, and a dry change of clothes, and not to mention some freshly baked danish pastries ... would you not climb in?" You see, to me CPAP represents LIFE.

I must, however, extrapolate something that I do not entirely agree with Vicki on ... and that is the deadly nature of Sleep Apnea. Vicki is quite correct that OSA typically causes people to die through heart attacks and strokes -- BUT -- it does kill people asleep at night as well, and that is not that rare. I had this discussion with Dr. Chi, my former "Sleep Doctor" at the University Of Pennsylvania Sleep Center, an expert in her field who lectures on OSA all over the world. Some examples: Philadelphia Eagles football player Reggie White died of Sleep Apnea in his sleep at age 43 I think. The notorious chubby Drag Queen/"Actor/Actress" Divine of the John Water's films died likewise. So it is important to use the damn machine!

Good luck! My thoughts and prayers are with you.